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17 Bayhead St

Stornoway, Lewis

 

 

Stornoway Golf club loses Sunday alcohol bid            28/7/10

 

 

 

 

 

Stornoway golf club has been refused a controversial Sunday drinks licence for

the second time in a row.

 

Western Isles Licensing Board voted 6-4 to knock back its bid to sell alcohol

with Sunday lunches and TV sports events.

 

The island club is already banned from playing golf on the Sabbath and wanted to

boost its takings by the weekend bar trade.

 

The same licensing panel rejected an identical application in May.

 

The club is anxious to separate the operating the club house for meals and TV

sports events on Sundays from the controversial issue of playing the course on

the same day.

 

It sought permission to sell alcohol between noon and 11pm in its bar as well as carryout sales to 10pm.

 

Now the golf club will consider appealing its case to the Sheriff Principal - or

to launch a third attempt.

 

Club secretary Ken Galloway said: “We face people on the licensing board who are

very set in their ways and there is not very much we can do about that.

 

“The club management committee will decide the next step at its meeting on 12th

August.

 

“We felt we researched and presented a strong case and are very disappointed.“

 

The licensing board previously awarded the club a six-day licence and licensing members praised its day-to-day operation.

 

But the board members quizzed the club over formal objections received which

suggested drunks would buy carryouts and cause a disturbance in adjacent public

woods. Some raised issues over excess drinking and the islands severe alcoholism problems and wondered how it would promote a health lifestyle.

 

But Mr Galloway hit out at “appalling statements” from objectors who were

“intent on blackening our name. What have we done to deserve this onslaught.”

 

He stressed it was “the “stuff of fantasy” to claim club members were committing

drunken offences in the Castle Grounds.

 

He highlighted the club’s money difficulties meant it could have “gone to the

wall” without a fresh outlook and the Sunday opening would help its financial

survival.

 

The Lord's Day Observance Society (LDOS) was concerned it would result in drunks disturbing strollers in the surrounding scenic Castle Grounds and create more crime and disorder.

 

LDOS chairman Rev Iain D Campbell warned it would have an “negative effect” on the traditional Sabbath.

 

He said it would led to a deterioration in the local amenity and people’s enjoyment of the locality in the Castle Grounds.

 

He pointed out that “to provide yet another outlet cannot be seen, in any way, as improving public heath.

 

He added: “Further provision certainly does not go to help a community struggling with overdependence” of alcohol.

 

Capt Calum Maclean, who represented the Free Church Continuing, highlighted that alcohol created a social blight in the islands.

 

He stressed there were 600 drink related arrests in 2009, mostly at weekends

 

The proportion of island offences was higher than the Scottish average he said.

 

Continued access to alcohol led to incidents of anti-social behaviour, rowdiness and violence he added.

 

A closed sober Sunday gave a “crumb of comfort” to families affected by alcoholic parents he highlighted.

 

Licensing board chairman Martin Taylor pointed out the board had reduced the number of drinking hours in establishments.

 

Inspector Black of Western Isles police said that “crime over the past two years has reduced across the Western Isles” resulting in a 25% fall in drink related offences.

 

Objections of over-provision were raised to the panel but licensing board lawyer Lesley Macdonald pointed out that it only applied to a new licensed premises - rather than changing a licence - and, in any case, it was not legal grounds for clubs such as the golf club.

 

The arguments carried on for about an hour. The golf club offered to drop the offsales element of its bid to ease its application through.

 

Peter Carlin and David Blaney moved to grant the clubhouse bar licence which faced a counter-motion to refuse the whole lot from Norman Macleod and Iain Mackenzie.

 

The 6-4 result saw the Uist councillors - Peter Carlin, David Blaney, Uisdean Robertson and Martin Taylor - backing the bid while the Harris and Lewis members - Norman Macleod, Iain Mackenzie, Annie Macdonald, Catherine Macdonald, John Mackay and Murdo Macleod - voted No.

 

For years the club had permission to sell alcohol on Sundays. It was one of the

first premises in Stornoway to get a late licence to run its bar for dances

until 1am on Sunday mornings. But it never had permission to serve drink during

Sunday daytime hours.

 

The club committee has previously been refused permission from landlords the

Stornoway Trust to tee off on the Sabbath.  Two years ago club members wanted to

invoke a clause in its lease which allowed for arbitration over the still

unresolved dispute.